Anadarko Petroleum Corp., partner with operator ConocoPhillips Alaska at the Alpine field on the west side of Alaska’s North Slope, and in NPR-A exploration and discoveries, said today that it expects to participate in three or four wells at Moose’s Tooth in the NPR-A, west of the Alpine field. Anadarko said it would also participate in acquisition of 3-D seismic data to further evaluate Alpine satellite opportunities.

Five proposed Alpine satellites, two in NPR-A, are the subject of a draft environmental impact statement released recently by the Bureau of Land Management.

Moose’s Tooth C, in section 3 township 10 north range 1 east, Umiat Meridian, was one of five successful wells and one successful sidetrack announced by former operator Phillips Alaska (now ConocoPhillips Alaska) and partner Anadarko in May 2001. The companies said the wells all targeted the Alpine producing horizon, and all encountered oil or gas and condensate.

Moose’s Tooth is west of the NPR-A Spark prospect, which along with Lookout is a proposed Alpine satellite.

State approves Unocal’s Nikolaevsk unit application

Over the next three years Unocal will drill two exploration wells and shoot seismic at the Nikolaevsk unit on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas said Jan. 29 when it approved the Nikolaevsk unit. The primary target at Nikolaevsk is Tyonek formation natural gas, but Unocal will also test the deeper Hemlock formation for oil.

Alliance Energy of Tulsa, Okla., had applied for a unit at Nikolaevsk in October, but Unocal bought out the Alliance interests in December. Unocal’s amended unit application is for a slightly different area, the state said and includes 16,589 acres, of which 15,811 acres, 95.31 percent, is in seven state of Alaska oil and gas leases and 778 acres is in two Cook Inlet Region Inc. leases.

Unocal’s proposal is a three-year exploration plan with a well in the first year, seismic in the second, and a well in the third year. Alliance had submitted a five-year plan beginning with seismic acquisition and the first well in 2004 and a second well in 2005, although it said the first well might not be drilled until 2005.